Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced awards of more than $2.07 million to 57 food banks, pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens across Pennsylvania through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grants. Today’s grants demonstrate the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to fighting hunger and food insecurity and increasing access to healthy food for Pennsylvanians, wherever they live.
“Pennsylvania enjoys an incredible bounty of natural resources and generous communities willing to help feed those in need,” Secretary Redding said. “Expanding the capacity of community organizations to supply fresh, healthy food to families in need is a key element of Shapiro Administration’s strategy to invest in a healthier, more secure Pennsylvania.”
TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants are being awarded to organizations distributing USDA Foods through TEFAP contracts with the state, county, or a county-designated Lead Agency.
Funded projects include mobile food pantries, expanded cold storage and warehouse space, delivery vehicles, and other investments that expand TEFAP’s reach into isolated or underserved rural or low-income communities.
This is the second round of TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grants. In September 2023, Pennsylvania awarded $1.6 million to 39 organizations working to reduce food insecurity across the state.
According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap report, in 2022, 11.9% of Pennsylvanians, more than 1.5 million people, did not know the source of their next meal.
Schuylkill Community Action, in Pottsville, serves a rural area with 19,400 residents, or 13.4%, who are characterized as food insecure in the report. The nonprofit received $50,000 for a mobile food pantry that will serve Latinx and other rural residents, many of whom have no grocery store or readily available fresh food in their communities.
“This TEFAP Reach and Resiliency grant is a game-changer for our community,” said Schuylkill Community Action Executive Director Dave Young. “With the new box truck, we can extend our reach to rural and remote areas, ensuring that no one in Schuylkill County, including our growing Latinx community, has to struggle with food insecurity due to transportation barriers. This initiative is crucial for bridging the gap in access to nutritious food and improving the well-being of all our residents.”
